Phantasmagorical anomalies weren’t uncommon at the Godiwala Bungalow, Joy confesses. They were less a matter of deciphering hidden messages than experiencing the inexplicable. One day, his mother found their gardener splattering what appeared to be red paint in the kitchen. She questioned him, only to discover that it wasn’t paint but blood—chicken blood. The loyal gardener, who had been serving the family for years, revealed that two women, presumably the sisters who had once lived there, had asked him to slaughter the birds as a sacrifice. The well behind the house, he said, was where these spirits lived, guarding the property they once called home. Eventually, the gardener ran away. The incident plagued Joy’s mother with nightmares. The house was later demolished, and Raheja Bay welcomed new tenants and owners. The curse, Joy believes, was carried forward in the series of bizarre and brutal deaths that followed. He tells me that a Jewish-French couple of Indian origin, who lived in one of the apartments, was shot dead while dining at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the 2008 terrorist attacks. Another couple reportedly found maggots inside one of their walls, feasting on something rotten. A labourer also fell to his death under suspicious circumstances.
Original text by Harleen Kalsi, edited for context.
The Material Essence Of India
Harsheen Mengar
As modern life accelerates under the weight of consumerism, returning to one’s roots can feel like the ultimate luxury. What those ‘roots’ look like, however, is an entirely different question. In the case of Kala, an 800-square-foot Bandra home, it meant revisiting memories of nature, and feeling the ground underfoot. Mumbai-based practice The Last Goldfish Design Studio was more than happy to take that journey with them. “The clients wanted their home to feel like earth,” says Karan Anand Shandilya, founder of The Last Goldfish Design Studio. “They spoke about their cultural ancestry, about growing up around courtyards, natural light, and just being immersed in nature.” When the team sat down at the drawing board, they consciously moved away from the pull of global trends and brands, instead focusing on capturing the essence of India through materials, textures, and the overall spirit.